Thinking about a holiday home near the Lake District? Here is what matters when you choose a park and a caravan, written from thirty-five years of running Hawthorns Caravan Park at Nether Kellet, near Carnforth and five miles from Lancaster. Prices and fees below are correct as at September 2026.
Location first – The best located park for you is one you will use…
Many owners come for a weekend without planning it, which is the one of the points of owning rather than booking.
Hawthorns is five minutes from junction 35 of the M6. Typical drive times to Hawthorns:
- Manchester and Liverpool: just over an hour
- Preston: forty minutes
- Leeds and Newcastle: two hours
- Sheffield: two and a half hours
- Nottingham: three hours
- Birmingham: three and a half hours
By train, Lancaster and Carnforth are both on the West Coast Main Line, with London Euston to Lancaster in around two and a half hours.
Quiet park or busy park?
Parks with clubhouses, pools and entertainment suit some people. Hawthorns is the other kind: an owners-only park with no hire fleet, no touring pitches and no subletting, so it is quiet and neighbours know each other. Your family and friends can use your home; it is subletting and holiday letting that we do not allow. There is a putting green, a wildlife pond, woodland walks and a library on the park, and a village shop, pub and bus stop within walking distance. Complimentary Wi-Fi covers the park.
What the park looks like
Every holiday home at Hawthorns is green, a park rule that took the best part of twenty years to achieve, so the homes sit in the trees rather than standing out from them. Plots are landscaped: most on the Original Park have a limestone patio, The Glade has decking, and the newest area, Bowland View, has elevated plots with views towards the Forest of Bowland.
What it costs
New static caravans at Hawthorns are from £53,999 and pre-owned from £29,999, every price published on our website. The 2026 site fee is:
- £4,475 a year on the Original Park
- £5,190 a year on The Glade and Bowland View
Both include VAT, rates, water, sewerage and grounds maintenance. Electricity and gas are metered and billed once a year; insurance is arranged separately. The full breakdown, the season and the park rules are on our site fees, licence and park rules page. We take static caravans, and some touring caravans and motorhomes, in part exchange; ask us for a figure.
What is included in the price of a new home
- Delivery and siting on the plot
- Connection to gas, electricity, water and drainage
- Painted timber skirting and a pebbled surround
- TV aerial and connection
Pre-owned homes are sold on their plot, fully installed and ready to use.
Choosing your ideal holiday home
Most of our homes have two or three bedrooms, a master with an en suite, and an open-plan living space with a fitted kitchen and integrated appliances; every one comes fully furnished, with parking by the plot and space for a patio or decking. New homes are ordered to your choice of layout and finish from Willerby, Swift, Pemberton, ABI or Victory, and every home on the park is green on the outside. Pre-owned homes are already on their plot and can usually be used within days. If the model you want is not in stock, we can source it new from any UK manufacturer.
Two questions settle most choices: how many people will regularly stay, and whether you want a new home with a 12-year licence or a pre-owned one at a lower price. Come and walk round both kinds; it is the quickest way to know.
The licence
A new holiday home comes with a sales contract and a written 12-year licence for its pitch; on a pre-owned home the licence term depends on the age of the home. You see both documents before you commit. Hawthorns is a holiday park, so a caravan here cannot be your main residence; the season runs from the first weekend of March to early January so Christmas and New Year on the park are part of the season.
When you decide to sell
Plans change. Hawthorns has the first option to buy your home at a fair market price, and if we do not buy it you can take it off the park; we will put you in touch with independent trade contacts for a valuation. Read The Hawthorns Promise for the ten things you can hold us to.
Pets
Well-behaved dogs are welcome, up to two per holiday home, on a lead on the park.
Already own a caravan?
You can bring it to Hawthorns, subject to inspection, a suitable plot and a green exterior; there is a £10,000 fee to bring a home onto the park plus siting at around £5,000. Owners who introduce a buyer receive £500 off their site fees. Details on our owner referral and bring-your-own page.
Beyond the park
Windermere, Bowness and Ambleside are under an hour away: the lake cruises, the World of Beatrix Potter, Victorian Ambleside with its shops and cafés, and the country of Wordsworth, Ruskin and Arthur Ransome. Nearer to home there are walks for every ability, the Forest of Bowland, Morecambe Bay, and a year of farmers’ markets, festivals and country shows. Our Lake District guide has the detail.
See what is for sale
Our current new and pre-owned static caravans for sale are listed with prices, plots and photos. Or call 01524 732079, email info@hawthornscaravanpark.co.uk, and come and walk round; no appointment needed, 9am to 5pm daily.
Hawthorns has held VisitEngland’s five-star grading every year since 2002 and the VisitEngland Gold Award for eleven years, and is a member of HARPA.
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